It was cold today, and windy ... but it was warm inside the church and lovely to see all the daffodils a sign, if one was needed, that Spring is just around the corner

Up and walked Mix before setting off with Mum and Rachel to Gavinton Church where Ann was conducting her final service as minister of the congregation. That’s a bit misleading because Ann retires next Saturday but will still be here next Sunday to conduct her final service and this will be followed by a farewell lunch in the village hall. It was a good service. It seems no time at all since Ann had a year to go -- and now it is gone. We have now been here for fifteen months, fifteen months since I retired and it still feels like yesterday.

Today there was no farewell lunch: we had to make do with coffee in the hall – it was good.

Came back to Mount Pleasant and had lunch in the farmhouse with the family and with Digger’s friend Dave with whom Digger had been out on the town yesterday evening, visiting, so they told me, no fewer than four of the hostelries in Duns.

After lunch I set off for Greenlaw where I attended the Annual General Meeting of the local branch of the SNP. I am enjoying seeing how local democracy works at close quarters. With the election getting closer we were all warned that everything we did we did as ambassadors for the SNP! Fallouts, disagreements and diverting our energies for other purposes is all forbidden! It really does seem that the SNP believes that this seat is one which is distinctly winnable. There were about thirty people present, a far cry from the huge numbers of Friday evening but a massive increase on previous years, I understand. The AGM was conducted in a business-like way by Christine Graham, MSP, from the neighbouring area. I am enormously impressed by Paul Wheelhouse, MSP who is always there, always encouraging and always with something good to share.

I came home via Duns because I needed petrol. When I got to the petrol station I had enough petrol for nine miles according to my on-board computer. Imagine then my horror when the garage night petrol system wouldn’t accept my credit cards and I had to drive home, petrol-less. I now have petrol for five miles left!

Rachel went off to Berwick to attend Evensong and on her return we enjoyed a snack before watching Mr. Selfridge with Mum and Olive. No sooner was that completed than it was time to watch England against Scotland from Christchurch. England made a splendid start but they didn’t press on as I had expected, settling for a score just over 300 when I think that 350 or even more might have been achieved. However, that should be sufficient. I retired to bed during the interval between innings.